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Social contracts in liberal democracies: key concepts and challenges

Democracy
Democratisation
European Politics
European Union
Political Theory
Populism
Narratives
P399
Anna Björk
Demos Helsinki
Emilia Palonen
University of Helsinki
Szilvia Horváth
University of Helsinki

Building: O'Brien Centre for Sciences, Floor: 2, Room: ALE H2.38

Monday 14:00 - 15:45 BST (12/08/2024)

Abstract

A social contract is a political-theoretical concept which describes the (fictive) basic agreement between the members of a polity on the principles of this polity. There is a long legacy of various definitions of a social contract in political theory (Boucher & Kelly, 1994; Freeman, 2012). On the other hand, there is a long historical legacy of practised social contracts in countries inside and outside the European union. Analysing and developing social contracts as conceptual and theoretical constructs generates in-depth understanding of how various political and socioeconomic changes challenge social contracts and, therefore, also potentially the democratic polities they are embedded in. The concept of social contract can therefore be used as a lens through which we can analyse contexts, phenomena and political developments which can generate, intensify or shape the conceptual contestation of liberal democracy. To grasp the impact of the social contract between the members of the demos – as individuals and groups – and between the demos and the state across societies, it is crucial to understand the concept in plural and appreciate how the multiple definitions and practices shape also the scope, implications, and resilience of social contracts in the face of societal transformations and challenges. The panel invites papers to analyse and discuss examples in using the social contract as a conceptual framing for understanding historical and contemporary contestations of liberal democracy.

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